Chapter 007: An Onslaught of Troubles

Capture a few prisoners, only mentioning that in recent years the Zunghar tribe engaged in battle with the Oirat and captured a few talented individuals. One was a Pole, named Polshewsky; another was a Swede, named Lennart. The Pole was skilled in horsemanship, while the Swede excelled in the use of firearms

In the historical context, during the Battle of Kaldan in the conflict between the Manchu Qing and the Zunghars, the Polish leader Bolesław Poniatowski led the charge, utilizing the wedge formation technique of Polish cavalry to break through the Manchu rear guard, Hešerideng Shou, thereby achieving encirclement. This can be regarded as a significant moment in the history of the Polish presence in the East

A defeat of three thousand men is not something that would cause the sky to fall, but it is certain to shake the military commanders, especially as they seek to understand what happened. Were these two captured? Or were they sent by the enemy nations of Russia, such as Sweden and Poland?

Liu Yu could not ask first, so Duke Qiguo, Tian Suo, asked: "Shouchang, you are well-versed in Western studies and have studied with missionaries for several years. You should know quite a bit about the Westerners, right?"

When the Xin Dynasty established its capital and set the ceremonial system, Li Laiheng and others were all filled with resentment

What year is it tonight? Liu Yu is still not quite sure, but it is estimated to be between the years 1720 and 1730 in the Gregorian calendar

Is it similar to the Heavenly Dynasty and the southwestern Tusi, or the northeastern Korea? Or are they all great powers? What is believed is the so-called new religion? The old religion? It is not necessarily well understood, but it is only necessary to know whether there is an intention to use troops against Russia.

Liu Yu is not foolish; he is wary of being used as a pawn. Although he has a good relationship with Tian Ping in his memory, today's incident seems peculiar no matter how one looks at it

After speaking, he pulled Liu Yu and walked inside. Liu Yu was filled with questions, but since Tian Ping had said so, it would be inappropriate to decline further, so he could only follow him inside.

Moments later, the maidservants brought in the tea. The Duke of Qi waved his hand, dismissing them all, leaving only Liu Yu and Tian Ping, so there were just three people left in the room

Tian Ping laughed as he fanned Liu Yu with a folding fan, jokingly saying: "The Duke of Yi is too cautious. He is afraid of getting involved in any disputes. Regarding today's matter, my father said that if Brother Shouchang is willing to take advantage of this favorable wind, my father will give you a push; if not, this matter is known to you, me, and my father, with no fourth person aware of it."

In the house of nobility, one flourishes together and one suffers together. It is said that if the Duke of Qi were to seek assistance, it would be a matter of a single word, and there would be no need for such complications.

One matter follows another, and it seems that they are about to be connected here

The actions taken by the Duke of Yan Sheng during the late Ming Dynasty rendered the new regime quite passive, and coupled with later events such as the promotion of shaving heads and changing clothes, it would be quite unbelievable if there were no grievances.

Uh ... ...

In a state of bewilderment, Liu Yu wondered how this great Shun seemed like a broken ship. While it appeared peaceful across the seas, in reality, it was leaking from all sides

Although the title of Duke of Qi is not very prestigious, the formalities of the ducal residence are the same as those of the Duke of Yi.

Your cautious father, if he knew I was looking for you, would probably end up arguing with me again

Liu Yu seemed to have an epiphany, raised her head to glance at the Duke of Qi, and asked: "Is the country of Luosha sending a delegation? Are you in charge of the negotiations, Duke of Qi? Is this related to the war in the northwest? Shouldn't this task of interpretation be handled by missionaries?"

Before the second year of the Zhenguan era, Duke Zhou was revered as a sage, and Confucius was regarded as a teacher; they were not a duality of sage and teacher. The title transitioned from sage to teacher, reflecting a change in this honorific.

The Swedish man named Lennart is somewhat reminiscent of Kong Youde from the late Ming Dynasty, as he assisted the Zunghars in establishing an artillery unit, forming an army equipped with thirty-five field guns and ten mortars

After a while, Duke Tian Suo of Qi said: "In the early years of the Han Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Wu, the Marquis of Bo Wang was sent to the Western Regions with the intention of seeking the Da Yuezhi to jointly attack the Xiongnu. In my opinion, the Zunghar tribe is not a significant threat; it is the Oirat to the north that poses a real danger. I just wonder how Sweden and Poland compare to the Oirat?"

This remark allowed the main hall of the Duke's residence in the New Dynasty to be opened up to seven rooms

The Duke of Qi, Tian Suo, is around 40 years old, and his temperament seems to be somewhat better than that of his father, often laughing and joking.

At this moment, upon hearing these two names again, Liu Yu was not shocked, but felt somewhat bewildered

Liu Yu frequently visits and is quite familiar, making it difficult to respond to this remark; I can only think about what exactly the Duke of Qi wants from me.

He leaned over to take a few glances at the words above, which were easy to recognize, all in Latin that he had learned from the missionaries, the official common language of the West at that time

Tian Suo furrowed his brows, walked two circles with his hands behind his back, and sighed: "Today’s report from the northwest indicates that our army encountered the Zunghars in the northwest and suffered a great defeat, losing three thousand soldiers. The Zunghars' firearms are significantly different from before, and their cavalry charges are also markedly distinct from previous encounters"

Today, Confucius's title of "Wenxuan Wang" has been reduced to "Xuan Ni Gong" during the Han Dynasty

The losses for the Russians were not significant, but the combat effectiveness of the Zunghar forces was also quite evident. In the face of the fortress, lacking artillery, there were indeed not many good options other than to lay siege.

Then he took out a piece of paper and waved to Liu Yu, saying: "Since you have studied with the missionaries for a few years, you should recognize Western characters. Please take a look and see what is written on it"

This Borshevsky imparted the cavalry charging techniques of the Polish cavalry to the Zunghars. Without exaggeration or belittlement, the Polish cavalry was indeed formidable, and their charging skills and tactics were relatively advanced. That Lenat was a Swedish artillery officer who assisted the Zunghars in casting cannons and imparted the experiences and regulations of Swedish artillery.

This great fortune is not fortunate at all

I casually glanced at two lines, which are all titles of official positions translated into Latin from the State of Qi. There is also a letter regarding information about the Russian envoy.

According to the regulations of the previous dynasty, the only duke who can have seven main halls is the Duke of the Confucius Mansion, whose main hall can indeed consist of seven halls

Tian Suo listened to Liu Yu mention that the population of Sweden is only over one million, yet they were able to engage in warfare with Russia for several years, which he found quite remarkable.

That is it, yet one does not know whether it is an enemy or a friend

He pushed the door open and casually exchanged greetings. He often visited the residence, and with their similar statuses, there was no need for excessive formalities. The Duke of Qi was engrossed in examining something. Upon seeing Liu Yu, he casually returned the greeting without any particular formality and waved Liu Yu over.

With a few words, Liu Yu was astonished, and Tian Ping was bewildered, never expecting to hear such significant news. The Da Shun army suffered a defeat in the northwest? The weaponry and cavalry tactics of the Zunghar tribe have greatly improved? Why had I not heard my father mention this?

The Duke of Yan Sheng also followed the retreating water and lowered his ship, thus being demoted from the Duke of Yan Sheng to the title of Fengsi Marquis

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, the title of Prince Wenxuan was conferred. By the time of the Western Xia, the title had been elevated from Prince Wenxuan to Emperor Wenxuan, reaching the highest rank in the mortal realm. Now, it has reverted to the status prior to the second year of the Zhenguan era.

They are all neighboring countries

A group of rough men from Mizhi and Suide, much like the local folks from Peixian in the early Han dynasty's Chang'an, were not overly concerned with matters of rank and status at that time. They angrily clamored, asking why the Kong family could open seven rooms, while they, as the meritorious subjects who fought alongside Li Wansui, could not open seven rooms as well

After asking several questions, Liu Yu seemed to have thought of something—Dashun had just fallen out with the missionaries, and the Vatican was stubbornly clinging to the issue of rituals. The frequent incidents in Fujian were occurring at this critical moment when they had to rely on those missionaries.

However, due to the events such as the shaving of heads in the late years of the previous dynasty, Confucius has already been demoted from the dual status of "Sage of Teachers" to the status during the Tang Dynasty's Zhenguan period of "Duke Zhou as Sage, and Confucius as Teacher"

Your family can open it, but I cannot

If the Duke of Qi were to ask me to do something, all he would need to do is pass a note to my father. Why must Brother Tian go to such lengths with his roundabout ways, like being gentle and taking ten years to sharpen a sword? You know I am not well-versed in poetry and literature; are you here just to make fun of me?

Liu Yu shook his head and chuckled, saying: "It is not like the Celestial Empire with the local chieftains or Korea. Even a small country like Sweden, with a population of merely one million, possesses a formidable military. The Russians have invaded several times, to the extent that they melted down the bells of their ancestral temples to cast cannons, only then achieving victory"

Liu Yu also does not dare to claim to be a prophet, speaking of the Battle of Yamash Lake thousands of miles away, but this battle serves as a warning for the Great Shun: three thousand Cossacks and shooting troops, along with twenty thousand Zunghars, besieged for several months in their home ground, yet seven hundred people still managed to escape

Upon entering the ceremonial gate, one first encounters five front halls, followed by seven main halls at the rear

Liu Yu has indeed heard of this Borshevsky, who is a Polish major, and like that Swede Lennart, was captured during the Battle of Aymesh Lake between the Dzungars and the Russian Empire

Liu Yu was momentarily taken aback, thinking to herself, why is she asking about Poland and Sweden? If it were about Da Shun inquiring about Russia, the Netherlands, or Portugal, it would be understandable. But what is the purpose of asking about these two countries? They are separated by a great distance, completely unrelated.

He was not modest either, nodding and saying, "It's acceptable."

Today, the Duke of Qi came to see me, and I fear it is not merely to share the news of the defeat in the Northwest. It is likely related to Western studies, as well as to missionaries, and may even be connected to the Northwest conflict and Russia.

In other words, the order of sacrifices in the Confucian temples across the world has been changed: Duke Zhou has replaced Confucius, Confucius has replaced Yan Hui, and the remaining figures have been demoted by one rank

If I were to ask you whether there is a land route connecting the Kingdom of Poland and the Kingdom of Sweden with the Kingdom of Rus, would you not think that I, as a noble, am unlearned, occupying my position in vain, and undeserving of my high rank

It seems that today, all these matters are finally coming together.

When it comes to understanding Western countries, Liu Yu believes he is not being modest; within the court and beyond, there should be no one who understands them better than he does, and he can be regarded as the king of knowledge.

As he watched Tian Ping lead him to the main hall, passing through the corridor, they unexpectedly went directly to the private study of the Duke of Qi. Liu Yu increasingly felt that today's matter could not be taken lightly